Review: The New A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in Honey-gold

Comprehensive review of the new A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in Honey-gold. Released in 2025.

It wasn’t too long ago that A. Lange & Söhne introduced the narrative-breaking Odysseus. Not only was the Odysseus Lange’s first ever sports watch, it was also the first serially-produced stainless steel watch by the brand. Though there had been whispers of such a watch years prior to the launch date in 2019, the official narrative since the manufacture’s revival in 1994 was that it was all about elegant watches in precious metals. Nevertheless, circumstances change, and the brand has to change with it to remain relevant and profitable. Since the debut of the first Odysseus, we’ve seen something even more unexpected from Lange in the form of an Odysseus in titanium, a metal that’s never been used at all by the brand before that. In between, there was also the release of a white gold Odysseus with leather or silicone strap with no option for a matching bracelet. In fact, it’s been a while since Lange offered a precious metal bracelet with its watches. If you’ve seen Lange 1s or Datographs on Lange-commissioned beads-of-rice precious metal bracelets, then you’d know how otherworldly they are. Any Lange collector would go weak in the knees holding one of these rare beauties in the hand, but I digress.

Review: A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in Honey-gold

Enter the new Odysseus in honey-gold, first presented at Watches & Wonders 2025. It’s not just the case this time but the whole package that’s rendered in Lange’s precious, proprietary alloy. Given that precious metal bracelets are such a rare phenomenon at Lange, it kind of makes sense then that Lange would want to go all the way to welcome it back into the stable. Yet, it would not have been an easy decision to make, as the material is a huge pain to manipulate and there’s also the risk of diminishing the exclusivity of honey-gold. Here, we bring you the details and our honest thoughts on the Glashütte brand’s most opulent sports watch yet.

The Case, Dial, and Hands

The case design of Lange’s latest Odysseus remains unchanged, save for the use of honey-gold as the case material. It retains its elegant 40.5mm x 11.1mm profile and features tapered pushers on the right flank, as well as a narrow bezel that frames its novel brown dial.

Brown dials aren’t easy to pull off but Lange have done an excellent job with it here. The colour matches the warm lustre of the manufacture’s honey-gold alloy to a tee. On the dial, more honey-gold is utilised in the form of the hands and baton appliques. A luminous coating is also applied onto them for low/no-light visibility. Only 2.4mm thick a piece, the discs upon which the white numerals of the outsize date and the letters of the day-of-week are painted on peek through apertures at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, respectively. These are reminiscent of the Zeitwerk but, disappointingly, do not jump instantaneously (perhaps something to work on for future generations of the Odysseus). The fanciest part of the dial is the fluted ring that make the hour track, which gives the dial a nice sense of depth and texture. It contrasts splendidly with the matte central portion of the dial. The proverbial cherry on top of the cake is the red number ’60’ of the peripheral minute scale that is printed on the beveled, golden flange ring.

Perhaps the biggest talking point of the new Odysseus is its full honey-gold bracelet. Without a doubt, this was a bold move to make by Lange. The brand’s proprietary alloy is used sparingly – albeit more frequently of late – for special watches. This is Lange making an announcement, a statement, that full precious metal bracelets are back. To craft a full bracelet out of honey-gold is no straightforward task, as the alloy itself is harder than standard gold and has to be machined in an oxygen-free environment. There is a user-friendly mechanism on the buckle (the brand logo) that, when actuated, allows the length of the bracelet to be adjusted by up to 7mm without even having to open the buckle. It’s worth mentioning that the bracelet is fully integrated despite how it looks. One of the key identities of a Lange watch has always been the three-part round case with strong lugs, and I think that it is great that Lange did not sacrifice this look. The first batch of the Odysseus did initially come with non-integrated bracelets. It was cool until the maintenance issues came, and so not long after, the bracelets became fully integrated. It’s not as awesome as it was before but at least the bracelet is now more secure and the lugs and round case get to stay. Those who have gone hands-on with the Odysseus know how incredibly comfortable the bracelet is to wear. Importantly, it is just as beautifully finished. The links are finished individually, interestingly also in a deoxygenated environment prior to assembly. The bracelet may not be as iconic as the Royal Oak’s or the Nautilus’, but it does not fall short in quality and comfort.

The bottom line here is that with the honey-gold bracelet, the Odysseus feels as opulent (and heavy) as ever, and it clearly stands out from not just the rest of the Odysseus collection, but the Lange collection in general. The watch is as much a statement piece as you can get without diamonds, rare crafts, or grand complications.

The Movement

Driving the new Odysseus is the in-house, 312-part, 31-jewel Calibre L155.1 DATOMATIC. The Calibre L155.1 is familiar in more ways than one. For one, it is the same movement used in every Odysseus variation since release. For another, it resembles the Calibre L086.1 that powers the now-discontinued Saxonia Automatic. Using the Calibre L086.1 as inspiration, pragmatic modifications and additions were made by Lange’s watchmakers to arrive at the Calibre L155.1. While gold is used for the central portion of the skeletonised winding rotor in the Calibre L086.1, in the Calibre L155.1, that is now Arcap, a material that is flexible, more stable than gold, and a better fit for a sports watch. It is also black-rhodium plated for a sportier look. Another key change in the Calibre L155.1 is the switch from the signature balance cock to the less elegant but more secure balance bridge. This was a first for Lange, and deemed a necessity for greater stability and security, as you’d expect a sports watch to be subjected to more shocks than a dress watch. In terms of complications, there’s obviously the additional date and day mechanisms that are hidden between the three-quarter plate and dial. As mentioned previously, these displays don’t jump, but do switch over gradually at midnight. They can, however, be adjusted forwards or backwards, which is a convenient feature to have.

When it comes to Lange movement finishing, what can be said that hasn’t already be said? It’s exceptional. Even though many parts of the movement are concealed, nearly every individual part is hand-finished. Round parts such as wheels and the mainspring barrel are decorated with circular graining or solarisation. All frame parts are decorated with perlage using a rotating abrasive peg. The contours of the frame parts are circumferentially brushed to achieve a matt surface that contrasts against the polished chamfers along the edges. The three-quarter plate, made of untreated German silver, features Glashütte ribbing on the top surface.

The uniform stripes of the ribbing pattern are produced by a slightly inclined, rotating grinding wheel that is guided along the component in straight, parallel lines. The surfaces of springs and levers are straight-grained using abrasive paper to create a fine structure of parallel lines. For the Odysseus’ balance bridge, wave patterns – instead of the usual floral patterns – are engraved by hand unto its top surface alluding to its 12 bar water resistance. Rubies, heat-blued screws, and the singular gold chaton above the escape wheel provide a pop of colour to the Calibre L155.1.

The Competitive Landscape

It goes without saying that the sports watch market is pretty saturated now, and to succeed commercially, you’d have to be something special. The Odysseus in stainless steel and in titanium both got the memo with the former being – at the time – the brand’s first sports watch and serially produced steel watch, and the latter being the first ever Lange watch in titanium. Is the Odysseus in honey-gold in the same league? I’d like to think so, given that Lange watches on precious metal bracelet are exceptionally rare and that honey-gold is unique to the brand. It’s an alloy that’s normally used sparingly, but in this watch, you get so much of it, it’s unbelievable. Of course, there’s an eye-watering price to pay for such exclusivity and that price is (unofficially) thought to be around triple the retail price of the steel variant, or double the retail price of the white gold variant (with strap), around the EUR100,000 mark. Limited to only 100 pieces, it’s going to be mission-impossible for many keen collectors to get their hands on one.

As far as stunning full gold sports watches are concerned, few can match the epicness of the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 in yellow gold. This was – at least in my opinion – the watch of the year for 2022. It is a faithful reissue of a cult classic, though not too faithful. After all, it is the 21st century, so you do get better manufacturing and machining, as well as super-stable SuperLuminova on the hands and markers, and a modern movement. Nostalgia may lead some to think that more of the original watch should have been kept, but it’s hard to argue against what Vacheron Constantin have come up with here. This is a truly charming recreation of Jorg Hysek’s legendary Ref. 222, with finer craftsmanship and greater reliability. Priced at CHF74,000, it is not as pricey as the Odysseus in honey-gold, but it is just as coveted, if not more.

Then there’s the Patek Philippe Cubitus, the Swiss brand’s newest collection that enthusiasts either love to hate or hate to love. The rationale for the community’s divided opinions has nothing to do with build quality or craftsmanship. Of the major luxury watch brands, none can build a case like Patek Philippe can and that remains true for the Cubitus. It is beautifully shaped, delightfully nuanced and finished to absolute perfection. The Ref. 5822P closely resembles the Odysseus in terms of functionality with its day and date displays, though it does also have a moon phase display. That’s where the similarities end but it is one of the most talked about luxury sports watches today and is naturally a competitor to the Odysseus. There are valid reasons as to why the Cubitus is so polarising but that’s a story for another place. The Ref. 5822P, which comes with a baguette diamond set into the bottom of the case, is priced at USD92,707. This puts it in a similar league to the Odysseus in honey-gold in terms of pricing. Expect it to be just as hard to get your hands on one.

Final Thoughts

Lange watches on precious metal bracelets are a rarity. To have one in full honey-gold was unthinkable until recently. There are concerns that Lange have been too liberal with the usage of honey-gold in its watches of late, diluting its exclusivity. Could the brand have started with an Odysseus in full pink gold or platinum instead? Sure, but both metals, while stunning, are very pedestrian in the luxury watch market. By using honey-gold, Lange have successfully caught our collective attention. We can probably expect bracelets made of other precious metals soon for the Odysseus now that a precedence has been set.